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I’m a huge fan of Albarinos, particularly anything that says Rias Baixas on the label because the grape just thrives there. I don’t think I’ve ever had one that I didn’t think was a good value for the money. This bottle is a staple, I’ve had it multiple times, and in every case it delivers. At Costco for $11.59, it might be the best white wine value you find on the shelf.
Don’t shy away if you aren’t familiar with Albarino. This is a super friendly drink, fruity and crisp, clean and pure. It has a touch of sweetness to the finish but nothing that would throw you off. Very food friendly. I’ve enjoyed Albarino with a variety of meals and love it with anything spicy, or white fish. It stands strong on its own as well. This is an excellent alternative if you are tired of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay (it’s more in the Sauvignon Blanc range of character). Do try, the price is great at Costco, and as we enter the cooler months, we’ll see fewer and fewer of these bottles on the shelf. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 88 Points Here’s another great Albarino we reviewed. |
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Reader review. I would love to try this one…
Fantastic wine one of my favorite Bordeaux at this level ($100 in Florida). A great Nice deep and dark Cabernet fruit that flows perfectly to — Raul Garza |
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Rockaway is a lovely wine from Rodney Strong. This bottle marks the end of our month long series reviewing some of the higher end Costco wines, and it’s a nice note to go out on. I usually prefer my $70-$100 Cabs to come from Napa when I have a choice, but this bottle turned a corner for me. It’s delicious, marked by an awesome finish and reaffirms the strength and boldness of Alexander Valley Cabs.
The wine starts pleasant on the nose, lots of pepper and spice; delicate in the mouth with a flavor punch that starts soft and then hits pretty big (like bass fishing, first thing that came to mind because I’ve been fishing a lot lately); definitely a good spice, nutmeg component on the palate with dark fruit, some plum. But what’s special about this wine is the finish. I love it. Big, deep, lasting, just won’t go away. Really a lot of fun. This one opened my eyes to what Sonoma offers above $50. This bottle was $64.99 at my Costco and worth every penny. Enjoy with your favorite red meat or hearty dish. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 93 Points |
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A big Super Tuscan that’s just delicious from start to finish and drinking surprisingly good for being so young.
Nice nose, picking up some spice and red fruit. In the glass, it’s medium in body, feels good with soft tannins leading me to believe it would be slightly older and more mature than an ’09. On the palate, it hits big with flavor, that Super Tuscan burst that you have to love. Flavors of red fruit, licorice, kind of perfumy at times and I chalk that up to the acidity and dryness to the finish. |
I’m a fan and at $84.99 at my Costco it’s certainly not cheap. I enjoyed this with a spicy Vietnamese beef noodle dish (not what I had planned but I had to get the review in), but it was a nice complement. It’s always amazing to me how much both wine and the meal can change when paired together.
I think that says a lot about this wine. It’s big and strong, capable of holding up in almost any situation. The dryness to the finish slows the wine down just a hair more than I would prefer, but other than, it’s a rock star from every angle. An easy addition to the Silver Rated wines.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 94 Points
*Silver Rated*
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This is a nice mid-range Grand Cru from St. Julien (3rd growth Bordeaux). A very much go-to bordeaux in the under $100 range, and one you will see a lot of restaurant menus. I have a had a few other vintages and all have delivered that great smooth and refined Bordeaux taste.
I was pleased to see my local Costco with several cases of the 2009 vintage, and at $75 a great price point here in Tokyo, Japan. Chateau Lagrange consists primarily of cabernet sauvignon, as well as merlot, and petit verdot.
This 2009 Lagrange was what I hoped for from this renowned vintage. After some decanting, this really opened up into a nice smooth drinking wine. Great nose followed by a little vanillla, some blueberry flavors, and plum finish. Not too over the top, very subtle and refined wine. I have had some other 2009 Bordeaux in this price point that I prefer over this one, for example the Calon Segur, but this is a very nice wine overall. |
I would score this 91-92 points, and feel it is one worth cellaring for a few more years.
Their second wine called Les Fiefs de Lagrange is also quite nice, and priced at a good value.
— Jun Chiba
— Jun Chiba
This is a guest post from a reader. During Sept we are reviewing higher end wines from Costco and if you want to help out, here’s how to do it.
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I’m happy to announce the publication of my latest wine book titled Around the Wine World in 40 Pages: An Exploration Guide for the Beginning Wine Enthusiast.
It’s $3.99 for the Kindle with a physical version coming down the line. The book takes readers on a journey throughout the most popular and notable wine growing regions in the world, providing an inside perspective on what wine drinkers at all experience levels need to know about the grapes and styles from each region, along with the price points and suggestions on specific wines to try. I even include references to a lot of wines that can be found at Costco. I hope you enjoy. |
The wine world can be intimidating at first. It was for me just a handful of years ago. But by creating this site and continually trying a range of new wines, I’ve come to expand my palate and my tastes a fair amount. But it’s a long journey and that’s why I find it, as many …